SLOVENIA (9/10) - To the Cradle of Slovenia in 6kofja Loka and to Lake Bled

With a companion whom I picked up at 10:00 from the Hotel Sdrast at the Dreil0ndereck rest stop near Arnoldstein, I set out on Thursday for the second time with the rental car towards Slovenia. Through the Karawankentunnel again, passing through the unavoidable short border control of this exceptional summer. This time passing Jesenice all the way to 6kofja Loka. With an old travel companion in the passenger seat, someone I had previously been to Norway with, and who at least allowed me to transform my self on this journey into a we, without wanting to indulge in a Pluralis Majestatis in this chapter.

As an authentic Slovenian small town, I found 6kofja Loka particularly beautiful to visit. The area around 6kofja Loka and further over the city of Kranj towards Lake Bled is considered the cradle of Slovenian identity, which means that we, in the sense of a Pluralis Modestiae, have already arrived at the main attraction of the day: At Lake Bled, which with its island and the baroque church of Sveta Marija perched on it, serves as a well-known postcard motif.

Only with a special boat, powered by rowing strength, can you reach the island. However, at the start of the return trip, you only pay the ferryman the cash amount, while there is no possibility for credit card payment here. So, if someone, like my former travel companion from old days, does not have cash with them, the ferryman will not take them back from the island at all, and if they do not want to remain on the island forever, they will have to swim back to the other shore.

So the crossing with the plenta costs 15 euros for one person, and a last twenty with a bit of change was found in my bull-like wallet. Which was of course enough for me alone, while my former travel companion, who unfortunately had only set her payment to credit card, was destined for a swimming lesson... – With the last of my strength and with extreme effort, I unexpectedly scraped together some euro coins and several cents out of my wallet, just barely managing to come up with enough change for two people and sparing my former travel companion from a swimming course.